The Ultimate D.C. Weekend for Foodies

Stay at the Eaton DC or the Jefferson hotel, both well-located for a cross-city tour. Kick off your culinary adventure with a craft cocktail at Quill, the Jefferson’s elegant in-house bar.

Then, head to dLeña, a wood-fired grill serving Mexican specialties like guacamole with smoked jumbo crab and sun-dried chili salsa and mushroom birria tacos with grilled truffle Manchego cheese. Look for the restaurant’s frequently changing seasonal menus; past offerings have highlighted Día de Muertos and honored bees.

Later, stroll through the National Mall to tour the monuments at night. Seeing the sights in the evening helps maximize time for daytime-only activities, and you’ll stay cooler.

Start your day learning about the plants we eat—and the ones that eat each other—at the United States Botanic Garden. See the massive array of edible species in the conservatory, such as cacao, jackfruit, and fig trees, and swing by the carnivorous plant room. Tap into the knowledge and expertise of the garden’s cadre of volunteers for even more insight.

Afterward, head across the street to the National Museum of the American Indian for a quick meal at the Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe. It recently revamped its menu to include preparations of Indigenous staples like bison and salmon. Continue along the Mall to the National Museum of American History to check out several exhibits related to U.S. food culture, including nearly everything from Julia Child’s kitchen and a display of one of the lunch counters from anti-segregation protests in Greensboro, N.C.

Before dinner, make your way just north of the National Mall to the H Street corridor for a cocktail. Try a couple of drinks from the rotating, creative cocktail list at Providencia, a newer Taiwanese Dominican hole-in-the-wall down a mural-covered alley. Grab a botana like the plantain and green tea tiramisu or the crab toast if time allows.

Further down the block is the always-excellent Copycat Co., which pairs Chinese street food with fabulously prepared cocktails, like the passionfruit-heavy Rumshack Punch. We also recommend ordering the dan dan noodles.

Another dinner option is Maketto, which serves Taiwanese-Cambodian fare in a stylish indoor-outdoor setting that doubles as a streetwear shop. The ginger chicken soup dumplings are a must (don’t trick yourself into thinking you’ll split it with the table), as is the jumbo scallop red curry with coconut milk and kroeung (a lemongrass-based spice).

Alternatively, head to newcomer Pascual, which has received a bevy of accolades in its short time in the Northeast D.C. dining scene. Opt for the lamb neck barbacoa, the bluefin tuna tostada, the taco al pastor, or one of the day’s specials. (Pro tip: If there’s duck available, order it.)

Head straight to the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Northwest D.C., then pick one of two popular breakfast spots on the same block. (Both are worth the inevitable wait in line.) Pick La Tejana for Michelin-approved Tex-Mex breakfast tacos, or check out Ellē bakery for egg sandwiches, honey-citrus goat cheesecake, and a full pastry case.

Next, walk over to the Harvard Street NW entrance of the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park. Sync up your visit to see your favorite animals feeding and learn more about their diets and habits. (The zoo also has a few different cocktail stands if you want to enjoy the fauna with a drink.)

Sign up for an event at Bold Fork Books, the city’s only bookshop dedicated to cookbooks, food memoirs, and the like, that also has a small section of homewares. Up-and-coming and well-known cookbook authors regularly come by to talk about their projects and, sometimes, serve select samples from their cookbooks.

Grab dinner at Martha Dear, a sourdough pizza joint just a block away. Then, head to Mount Desert Island Ice Cream for a scoop of flavors like brigadeiro (a rich Brazil-inspired chocolate) and blueberry sour cream crumble. For a nightcap, try OKPB’s rotating cocktail list. (They don’t take reservations, so you could put your name in and get a cone while waiting.)

The capital has a lengthy list of markets and food halls, seemingly growing every year. Today, you can compare two in their namesake districts, the historic Eastern Market and Union Market neighborhoods.

First, grab breakfast in Union Market, either at sit-down French bistro Pastis (run by the same team as the iconic Le Diplomate) or opt for something quicker like the lemon sumac cruffin (think croissant-meets-muffin) at Yellow Union Market or a classic almond croissant from Pluma by Bluebird Bakery.

Then, bike to the nearby Eastern Market using the city’s Capital Bikeshare. Explore the century-old food hall, the art, the farmers market that takes place every weekend, and local brick-and-mortar boutiques like the Relume gift shop and Rewild plant store.

Return to the Union Market pavilion and the neighboring La Cosecha food hall. While Union Market includes grocery options and an international palette of vendor stalls, La Cosecha focuses exclusively on Latin American cuisines and events. Between the markets, a series of converted warehouses includes shops, storefronts for ateliers, book purveyors, and jewelers.

Snack along the way but save room for the neighborhood’s abundant dinner options. You’ll need to make a reservation for spots like the Italian mainstay Masseria or Colombian prix-fixe experience El Cielo. Also consider El Presidente, a whimsical Mexican restaurant with a carousel mezzanine wrapped around its bar, or La’Shukran, which serves Middle Eastern–inspired dishes like whole fried hot quail in Ramallah chili oil.

Cap off your evening with a toast to your trip. Beer lovers should check out the beer lists at Red Bear Brewing and Crooked Run Fermentation (which also has pizza). For fruity rum cocktails and a picnic table, go to Cotton & Reed.